Twin Wings

They say: "Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, countless powerful individuals have emerged."

But what truly constitutes "strength"?

At this very moment, for those trapped by the wall of fire, the answer might have become clear.

An uninhabited island, the size of a town, was cleaved in two with a single strike.

The shockwave churned the sea into a vortex, swallowing island fragments and whipping up massive waves!

Whoosh--

Crash!

Many ships, unable to withstand the huge waves, capsized.

Those aboard jumped into the sea to survive, swimming towards the few large ships that had managed to stay afloat.

"Careful!"

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough..."

"Quick, quick, quick, there are still people over there!"

"..."

After a period of frantic activity, everyone in the water was rescued, and the chaos finally subsided.

The young soldier, soaked to the bone, leaned against the mast and slumped down, letting out a long sigh of relief. "Finally, finally, we're safe..."

"No, not yet."

Another voice cut in, tinged with exhaustion and hoarseness.

It was Bepo.

He and Jaka had protected Cobra at the last moment, fighting desperately. Coupled with the fact that King's attack wasn't intended to kill, it resulted in only the three of them being injured.

Cobra and Jaka had gone to tend to the wounded soldiers, leaving the most heavily injured Bepo to rest alone on the deck.

Bepo looked at the soldier and gave a helpless, wry smile.

He raised his eyes to the two figures in the sky and murmured to himself:

"Until they decide who wins, we can't truly be 'safe'..."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four wings, divided into two pairs, flapped up and down.

Two burly figures remained suspended in the air, facing each other.

"..."

King's gaze deepened as he adjusted his breathing, the ring of flames behind his head still burning.

These flames were the special characteristic of his existence as a survivor of the Lunarian race.

As long as the flames burned, his defensive capabilities would be greatly enhanced, allowing him to survive in any natural environment!

Aiven Lindsey's attacks were indeed terrifying.

Seemingly savage and brutal, in reality, each strike pushed speed and power to their absolute limits, making them almost impossible to evade!

If King hadn't maintained the burning of his flames, the outcome might have been decided already.

Next is...

Continue?

No.

There was something more important to do.

King narrowed his eyes, re-examining the "person" before him, his pupils contracting slightly, his gaze showing a hint of astonishment.

Was that really... Aiven Lindsey?

The burly, robust physique was gone.

In its place was a slightly gaunt, slender body.

His dry skin had a dull blue hue, and coupled with his sharp teeth and fangs, even his ears had become pointed.

The wings on his back were distinctly different from King's.

The natural wings of the Lunarian race were feathered wings.

But Aiven Lindsey's were standard membranous wings!

Bones stretched out on either side, connected by a light gray membrane, very much like the "pterosaur wings" King transformed into after activating his Devil Fruit ability!

"..."

Even the proud King couldn't help but sigh. The World Government's designation of Evan Lindsey as a "Demon" was entirely accurate.

Abnormal.

Undeniably "abnormal"!

What surprised King the most was Lindsey's current posture.

He held his black longsword, arms hanging loosely, the blade pointed towards the sea.

If not for the vast difference in their appearances, King would have thought he was looking into a mirror!

Just as Evan Lindsey had said before—

"I'm learning from you."

"..."

King remained silent.

He could be certain that Lindsey wasn't "imitating," but "learning"!

Because at this very moment, the "line" running through Evan Lindsey's body had become perfectly straight, completely devoid of its previous looseness.

This wasn't something that could be "imitated"; it could only be "learned"!

"..."

"Tch!"

King paused for a long time, finally letting out only this sound of exclamation.

He had long been prepared for the fact that obtaining the Poneglyph would inevitably involve a fierce battle, and thus he wouldn't falter in the slightest.

Everything was as he had said—

Destiny decreed it!

WHOOSH!

King flapped his wings and charged in front of Lindsey, slashing his sword.

CLANG!

The two black swords collided, locked in a stalemate.

King looked at Lindsey.

Within the abnormal crimson light, the pupil of one of Lindsey's eyes had changed.

The circular pupil disappeared, replaced by three unbroken horizontal lines, forming an isosceles trapezoid.

Its name was "Gan"!

The Heavenly Demon · West Wood Form!

"..."

King let out a soft breath, then shifted his gaze, locking onto the pair of wings on Lindsey's back.

The wing membranes twitched occasionally, maintaining his body's balance under the intense impact.

"So that's how it is?"

King understood.

He finally grasped why Evan Lindsey hadn't used his "flight" ability from the start, waiting until now.

Did he not want to?

No.

He couldn't!

On this sea, there were very few people who possessed wings, and even fewer who could utilize them effectively in combat.

That Zoan ability user from Alabasta?

He might have given Evan Lindsey inspiration, but it wasn't enough for him to further develop his own abilities!

And now, through his battle with King, the "Demon" had finally achieved a rudimentary understanding, learning the basics of aerial combat using his wings.

"But it's only the basics."

King applied more force, causing Lindsey's wings to tremble more violently. He sneered, "With these newborn wings, can you keep up with me!"

"Hah!"

Hearing this, Lindsey grinned, flapping his wings even faster, continuing to exert force.

"Try me!"

"..."

A brief silence.

The next second—

WHOOSH!

The figures of the two disappeared from their positions simultaneously.

Only the sound of "ding ding" could be heard from the mid-air around them, the result of dozens of blade clashes!

On the sea nearby, everyone who witnessed this scene couldn't help but hold their breath, staring intently at the sky.

Even as the sunlight stung their eyes and tears streamed down, they refused to blink.

This was an extremely rare "aerial battle" on the sea!

If they missed even a single moment because of their own fault, they would surely regret it until the day they died!

Ding ding ding ding ding!

Metal and earth, black blade and black blade, Armament Haki and Armament Haki!

The collisions between them exploded into countless sparks in mid-air.

Clang!

After another clash, King deliberately retreated further, then gripped his blade with one hand, activating his Devil Fruit ability to transform the other hand into a Pterosaur's wing.

His wings fluttered behind him, propelling King forward at extreme speed.

"Keep learning, [Demon]!"

His Pterosaur wing, wrapped in Armament Haki, became a hard hammer, striking fiercely at Lindsey.

Lindsey, mimicking him, wrapped ancient Armament Haki around one of his wings and then leaped upwards.

One up, one down, their voices crossed paths.

ZZZING!

A violent and piercing roar echoed through the high heavens.

One move finished, and the next began!

King's entire body transformed into the Pterosaur form. He then pulled his head back forcefully, tightening it like a slingshot, and aimed at Lindsey diagonally above him.

This move, seemingly inexplicable, was like a highly destructive laser beam, incredibly difficult to defend against!

"Watch closely, [Demon]!"

"This is the hunting method of an ancient Pterosaur!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lindsey tilted his head back high, his body gradually elongating. Emerald scales grew from his spine, extending to the tips of his wings.

West Wood · Howling Wind—Composite Form!

He bared his sharp teeth and fangs, accumulating air and power.

BURST!

Lindsey and King, one diagonally up, the other diagonally down, aimed at each other simultaneously and unleashed a fatal strike.

The Frenzied Airflow of the composite form—

ROAR!

And the immense shockwave generated by pulling back the Pterosaur's head—

Marten's Self-Esteem Emperor!

BOOM!

The two collided violently at the point between them, the resulting shockwave reaching the sea and stirring up larger waves!

CRASH!

When the sea calmed slightly, everyone on the deck looked up again, only to see the two still standing opposite each other in mid-air.

Both Lindsey and King had returned to their initial states from when they first confronted each other.

Each holding two black blades of the same specification, they gazed at each other.

They both knew clearly that they had both given their all, and the next move would be their final one.

The victor would soon be decided!

As for what that move would be, both of them already had the answer in their hearts...

Lindsey and King simultaneously sheathed their blades, then bent forward, their backs arching. Their wings slowly vibrated behind them.

King said, "Come, one more slash!"

Lindsey nodded.

"Mm, one more slash!"